India to open 2011 WC campaign against Bangladesh

India will open their 2011 cricket World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 19 and the country will host its first match of the mega-event the next day in Chennai.

India will open their 2011 cricket World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 19 and the country will host its first match of the mega-event the next day in Chennai,the ICC announced on Monday.

Placed in Group B,alongside South Africa,England,West Indies,Bangladesh,Ireland and Netherlands,India will host 29 matches of the quadrennial tournament,including the final and a semifinal.

The first match on Indian soil will have New Zealand and Kenya locking horns in Chennai on February 20.

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Denied hosting rights owing to security concerns,Pakistan will play all their group A matches in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka,set to host the second biggest chunk of 12 matches in the event,will have their first game on February 20 with the hosts taking on Canada.

The Lankans are in group A,which also has defending champions Australia,Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Bangladesh,which will host two quarterfinals,will have just eight matches in all to organise.

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India’s commercial capital Mumbai will host the final of the February-March event.

Mohali will host one of the semi-finals along with two other matches,while Ahmedabad will host a quarter-final and two other games.

Kolkata and Delhi will host one India and three other matches each. Jaipur has been left out of the list of venues with Nagpur,Chennai and Bangalore getting one India game each.

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